The Deseret News – Chandra Johnson
“Having struggled with his weight as a child, Texas pediatrician Stephen Pont knows the road to a healthy lifestyle isn’t easy. “I was a big kid growing up,” Pont said. “What I remember most is the brand Del Monte, and they had a line of products called Del Monte Lite, so my friends would sometimes tease me by calling me Del Ponte heavy.” Like most kids, Pont didn’t question the health value of the sugary cereal advertised alongside his Saturday morning cartoons as a child. But as the American Academy of Pediatrics chairman on obesity and a father of two young boys, Pont is now part of the effort to limit the advertising of unhealthy foods to kids. “If we had less of this kind of advertising, it would make me more comfortable as a parent and less angry that these companies aren’t trying to manipulate my children into unhealthy habits,” Pont said. “Think about it: If an individual person tried manipulating your kids like that, you’d seek them out. That’s what companies are doing with some of these advertisements.” In December 2005, the Institute of Medicine released a book-length study that food advertising aimed at children directly contributed to obesity rates among children and teens tripling since the 1980s.”(more)